The Arkansas Consolidated School Improvement Planning model (ACSIP) is an annual comprehensive planning and fund distribution design that must be used by all Arkansas public schools. Using the ACSIP model, each school in Arkansas develops a comprehensive school improvement plan. The plan is used, also, as the school's application for all federal…

Drawing on lessons learned from Wallace-funded research and state-district work in strengthening education leadership, the foundation has produced a paper that discusses the potential as well as the challenges of an emerging concept of leadership called a "Cohesive Leadership System." This cohesive leadership system holds potential for…

College of the Canyons, California, is the only public institution of higher learning in the Santa Clarita Valley, and serves a 367-square mile area. This publication addresses the issues of planning, long-range strategic goals, and decision-making as they pertain to the College. The College has identified the strategic goals areas for 1998-2001…

This digest examines a completed pilot program in performance-driven budgeting (PDB) in the New York City public-school system. PDB links school-level budgeting and school planning; that is, decisions about resources must be aligned with school-developed instructional-improvement plans. The digest highlights how PDB came about; its primary goal;…

The School Improvement Specialist Project prepared seven modules. School improvement specialists, as defined by the Appalachia Educational Laboratory at Edvantia, are change agents who work with schools to help them improve in the following areas so as to increase student achievement. These modules are intended to provide training materials for…

The purpose of this book is to provide guidelines to develop appropriate Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) for children with disabilities based on the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act amendments of 2004 (IDEA-2004) or Public Law 108-446. These guidelines are intended to result in IEPs that are streamlined, focused, and reasonably…

This resource guide on self-assessment of programs and services for students with disabilities is directed to chief state school officers and their agency staff as well as school district and school level staff. The first three parts are organized as individual self-assessments for state education agencies, local education agencies, and schools.…

Schoolwide programs form the centerpiece of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act's vision of enabling programs to work together and support the overall reforms of states, school districts, and schools. A schoolwide program may now use Title I, Part A funds coupled with other federal education funds to upgrade the school's entire educational…

This paper falls into two main sections: (1) an overview of contemporary research on effective professional learning for practicing educators; and (2) recommendations for action to promote effective learning for practicing educators. Three central questions guide the paper: (1) When does professional learning lead to improved learning outcomes for…

This document introduces the Student Teacher Accountability Reporting System (STARS), the educational data collection and reporting model selected by the New Mexico Public Education Department (NMPED) to improve the quality and timeliness of data, analysis, and information in meeting increased reporting and analysis requirements. The STARS model…

Public school leadership is a constant search for balances, between and among conflicting ideas and forces, to shape difficult choices. This book is about educational leadership and administration. Chapter 1 introduces concepts and principles of leadership, and chapter 2 offers guidelines to help in the job search process. The attitudes,…

This paper reviews the history of how trustees are selected to boards of public institutions of higher education and offers specific recommendations to improve the selection process. The paper notes a trend toward an overall decline in the effectiveness of boards and reports that the major factor identified in several recent analyses is the…

This report of the Australian Ministerial Committee on Middle Schooling examines emerging conceptions of middle schooling and educational arguments regarding adoption of middle schooling, weighs financial implications, and provides several brief policy recommendations. Chapter 1, "Introduction," reviews the establishment of the…

This report provides updated information on how transition policies for New York students with disabilities are being implemented in Buffalo, New York City, Rochester, Syracuse, and Yonkers. It summarizes the findings about former students' post-school employment, postsecondary education, and community living status, and identifies the program…

Does educational technology work? Does its application in classrooms help children learn? Can teachers improve their own understanding and practice through technology? The answer is yes; however in a period of widespread concern about educational quality, teachers, parents, policymakers, and taxpayers deserve answers that go beyond fervent beliefs…